Blood Lily

To Amber and Millie's silent confusion, I pinched myself and realized that, in fact, it was not a dream. I would know, too, I mean some days I couldn't tell if I was awake or asleep on that park bench. It feels like such a distant memory all of a sudden, really, even though it was only a week ago... well, six months and a week ago, I guess.

Amber playfully shrugged.

"I suppose she does have a wide grin at the moment," she said, my brain unable to compute that I am the "she" being referred to.

"Right?!" Millie instantly agreed, her tail fanning back and forth. "Where did she even get the dress? It looks perfect on her!"

"Uhh, I-"

"I decided I would let her borrow a dress," Amber winked. "I asked if she wanted to wear it and she agreed."

I internally thanked Amber for saving me from having to explain everything for a second time. Well, she's delayed it, at least.

"What?! I don't remember you owning a dress like that, and I mean, sure, you seem to be about her size, but it looks tailor made for her!" Millie argued back, surprisingly.

"I went and bought a new dress recently," Amber explained, seemingly to Millie's satisfaction.

"Wow, and Lil' here gets to showcase it? Awesome! I'm jealous!" Millie said as she poked my cheek.

"I-It is pretty, isn't it?" I bashfully responded.

"Absolutely!" Millie responded. "But girl, you need to brush that hair of yours, it's a mess!"

It took a few seconds for me to realize she was talking to me. I'm the girl with messy hair. I felt a fuzzy warmth tickling me.

"U-Um... is it?" I asked. My hair looked fine in the mirror. I think. I'll admit I don't have very normal standards of fine, though.

"Duh! Have you seen yourself in the mirror? That hair is a disaster!" She said, making me a bit self-conscious. "Here, we have a bit of time before your breakfast with Lady Magnolia, let me brush it for you."

"O-Oh, um, ok..." I said as she sat me down in a chair and dragged me towards the mirror. And, yes, she did it in that order. She also positioned me away from the mirror so I couldn't see her work.

I noticed my lily was placed on the dresser. When did she take that out of-!

"Ow!" I exclaimed as she caught the first snag of many.

Millie was dead silent and continued to brush my hair with intense efficiency.

"Sorry," Amber shrugged with a giggle. "There's no stopping her when she gets like this. She'll be done in just a minute."

"Just a min- Ow! Just a- Ouch! J-Just a minute?" I asked.

"Mhmm, Millie is quite good with hair after all," Amber answered.

"I see, ow! What was that about a breakfast- Owie! A breakfast with mother, though?" I asked most curiously.

"Lady Magnolia has arranged to have breakfast with you this morning. Oh, and if you're wondering, Max will arrive shortly afterwards. Which, by the way, I still think is a horrible idea," Amber explained.

"Oh. Ouchie!" I squeaked as Millie hit an extra painful snag. I considered for a moment if that was her way of showing dissatisfaction with Amber's disapproval.

"Annnnnnd, done!" Millie exclaimed with glee, twirling me around in the chair.

I was speechless.

"H-How..."

"I know, I know, I'm amazing~" Millie bragged, but justifiably so.

My hair was... perfect. That's the best word that I could describe it with. It was as if a raging waterfall had been tamed into a gentle stream of white silk. My bangs were parted, half of it swept to the side and the other half brushed behind my ear. I seriously don't know how she does it, but the lily was back in my hair, too. I could only presume she had placed it there while I was distracted talking to Amber.

"I love it!" I said completely honestly.

"Heh," Millie smiled. "But, if you want it cut short, I can do that too. If you prefer, of course."

"Huh...? N-No, I like it like this..." I responded. I've never had long hair before. I mean, I would just lop off pieces of it with glass shards from the trash to keep it short, but, now that it's so long and pretty... The thought of losing it scares me. I'm proud to have hair like this, hair like... like my mother's...

"Well, you heard our Lady," Amber chimed in. "Long hair it is."

"Seems so!" Millie said.

I felt relieved and a smile crept back on my face.

"Are you ready for breakfast Lil'?" Amber asked just as I felt a slight growling in my stomach.

"Mhmm!" I nodded.

As the two led me out into the hall and my steps began to tread on the hard floor, the soft clicks of the short heels on my feet were a constant reminder that, for today, I was indeed a girl. I mean, the constant swishing of my dress reminded me too, but that wasn't what was currently catching me off-guard and making me incredibly self-conscious and nervous, but also excited, at the same time. Being referred to as "she" and "her" was also a pleasant reminder every time I heard it.

Going down the stairs took me a few extra moments as well since the additional inch or so to my height was really throwing me off balance. I had to take it slowly to make sure I didn't trip. Walking on flat ground seemed easy enough, though. And, thankfully, neither Amber nor Millie teased me for taking my time down to the first floor.

Just as we approached the large oaken door where I could only assume mother and food awaited me, I halted for a moment. I could smell it. My fangs ached ever so slightly and my heartrate sped up a notch.

There was blood in that room, and I couldn't deny what my urges were telling me. I wanted that blood. Now.

In spite of my momentary hesitation, I was the first to the door and I opened it with an anticipation that felt rather difficult to suppress.

I saw it. Beside a plate of breakfast assumed to be prepared for me was a wine cup filled to the brim with exactly what I was craving.

As I began walking towards it, a sudden motherly embrace shook me out of my tunnel vision.

"My my, what a beautiful daughter I have!~" Mother teased, my thoughts refocusing and then immediately disintegrating.

"U-Uh... H-Hi, m-mother..." I responded as she squeezed me tightly. S-She just nonchalantly called me her daughter, didn't she?

"Come, have a seat, I have a few things I want to discuss," she said as she led me to my seat, the blood's presence slowly rising back up in my priority list.

"We'll prepare for Maximillian Louve's arrival, our Lady," Amber and Millie said in harmonic and professional unison.

"Very good," mother said as she waved them out the door, leaving just us. Just a mother and her daughter.

...Even if I'm only her daughter for today.

"S-So," I started my eyes anxiously glancing between her and the glass of temptation. "What did you want to talk abou-"

"Drink," she interrupted.

I stared at her for a moment. I wasn't confused, I knew exactly what she meant when she said that single word. After that very, very brief moment of staring, I had the glass tilted against my lips, the savory and sweet liquid gliding onto my tongue as I greedily sipped away.

A cute, feminine burp signaled my satisfaction. I wiped a single drop of blood off my chin with a prepared napkin. I hope I didn't get any on my dress...

"T-Thank you," I said, embarrassed and bashful.

"To answer your question, that was part of what I wanted to touch on," she explained with a knowing grin as she swirled her own chalice filled with crimson liquid. "Blood."

I had been wondering about this for a while, especially since that dream...

"What do I need to know?" I directly asked.

"Oh? Straight to the point, are we? Well, I'm sure you've experienced some cravings, but you will need to learn to control them. In the old days before the Four Great Vampire Houses formed, we were nothing more than instinctive predators that preyed upon the other races, especially humans. Over the past several thousands of years, we have become dignified beings that, in a way, serve as leaders for many myths. Like humans need water, we need blood to survive. Unlike humans, however, we thrive. The more blood we have in our system, the stronger our bodies and keener our senses. However, the more you consume in a brief period, the likelier it is for you to be overcome with an insatiable gluttony. In the opposite vein, the longer you wait before drinking, the more desperate you may become," she explained. "Let's see, what was the phrase again...? Oh, right. With great power comes great responsibility. Even more so for Royal Vampires such as ourselves~"

I peered into the empty glass, my thumb caressing the rim.

"I... I had a dream last night. It was really nice, but then... then I felt a powerful wave of urges and desire crash into me, and... I tried to... to feed on someone. I don't... I don't want to hurt anybody like that."

"Dreams like that are common, especially for a new vampire. I experienced a fair share of them in my first few years, but with time I learned how to keep an iron grip around those instincts. I know for a fact you can as well," she responded. For a moment, she paused to consider her next words. "You are my daughter, after all."

I flinched, but in a pleasant way. My mouth was slightly agape and the bubbling happiness threatened to crease my lips into a smile.

"For today," she teasingly added.

I felt that warmth slowly fade.

Just for today, and then... then I'm back to being her son. But... I like this. I like being her daughter. I like being a girl... Will I really be ok going back to that after today? I don't know, but, right now, I just feel like...

"That said, I also wish to discuss a few other things," she said, plucking me from my thoughts. "The A'Ketsueki family's generous offering of sunsilk should arrive sometime today, meaning that we will have a sunsilk outfit prepared for you by tomorrow."

"Oh," I said as I placed a hand against the soft fabric of my dress's skirt. "Will you, um, show me the garden then...?"

She elegantly giggled.

"Yes, I will. But honestly, I'm quite disappointed I couldn't be there for your first impression... I almost couldn't believe Millie's explanation."

I gulped. What would have happened if she didn't believe that? I-I mean, I'm sure she's going to learn soon enough, but still...

"S-Sorry."

"Oh, don't worry. I did the exact same thing when I was in your position," she said.

"Ah," I casually responded.

...

"Wait. What?! You've used the curtains to see the garden before?!" I asked completely dumbfounded.

"Mhmm," she chuckled. "I would never have believed the story otherwise~"

I felt less guilty, like, a lot less guilty. Amazed, too.

I couldn't help but childishly giggle at her, I mean, I didn't actually do that...

"The dress is stunning, by the way," she said, my giggles coming to an immediate stop.

"O-Oh, thank you..." I said, happy that my mother approves.

"Where did you get it?" She asked, nearly making me choke on some of my fresh... toast? I don't know what this is called, but it kind of looks like toast, except it has a rich syrup over it and, for some reason, it has a bit of an eggy flavor.

"F-From Amber," I lied.

She raised a brow at that.

"Is that so? Well, I'll have to personally thank her for picking out such a beautiful dress for you so... quickly."

I gulped. Oh god, I hope this lie doesn't backfire on Amber.

"Y-Yeah..."

The delight and playfulness in her expression vanished, a far more serious look beaming in my direction.

"There's another, important reason that I wanted to talk with you about," she said.

"Um, what is it...?" I asked, feeling a sudden, natural urge begin to build with great haste.

She sighed. Deeply.

"Something grave happened with House Ab'Haima and I have reason to believe it concerns your-"

"W-Wait!" I interrupted, squirming uncomfortably. "I-I have to use the bathroom, c-could you wait until I come back? I-It sounds important."

Her face relaxed into a 'what can you do?' smile.

"Of course," she said. "You are excused."

"T-Thank you!" I said before rushing up and out the door, terrified I might not make it in time.

T-There was a bathroom beside the loungeroom, right? I think so.

Scurrying down the hall, I found my destination, rushed inside, did my business, breathed out a sigh of relief, washed my hands, and stood back outside.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that..." I mumbled to myself before heading back down the hall to continue our conversation.

The distant, blurred colors of the garden, however, caught my scarlet eyes as I walked by.

I took a few steps backwards towards the door, staring at it.

I walked closer to it. Close enough that my hand was now resting on the knob. Close enough that, if I wanted to, I could twist my grip and open it...

I looked down the hall to my right. Nobody.

I looked down the hall to my left. Nobody.

"I'll just see how my lily's family is doing really quick... It'll only take a minute," I reasoned as I swiftly flung the door open.